Richard Strauss' last stage work is an opera about opera as an art form, depicting the creation of a music drama in a wise and witty way. Which came first the words or the music? That is the question Strauss and his librettist Clemens Krauss address through the story of a Countess torn between a composer and a poet.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Renée FlemingDie Gräfin | Die Gräfin |
 Bo SkovhusDer Graff | Der Graff |
| MMichael SchadeFlamand | Flamand |
 Markus EicheOlivier | Olivier |
 Kurt RydlLa Roche | La Roche |
 Angelika KirchschlagerClairon | Clairon |
| IIride MartinezEine italienische Sängerin | Eine italienische Sängerin |